Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-08-11

Perfectly unsuspicious as 1 was, and
with the highest confidence in his in
tegrity, handed the whole sum over
to him, not even taking his receipt for
1t. On my return from my next voy-
age, L found he had fled the country,
taking many peoples money with him
mine among others.
This was my first rude discipline
from the world; and 1 suppose 1 did
not bear it as well as those misfortunes
that followed later.
Six years passed, and my earnings,
savings and tradings on my own &C
count in the countries to which
sailed had quite replaced all I had
lost. Absurd as it may seem, 1 used to
carry it about with me, and got well
laughed at for it. Ny captain joked
me numerically On the subject, and
one day he persuaded me to deposit it
in the bank where he kept his account.
1t was the old story in different
shape; the bank burst in three months,
and lost every cent
Twas now thirty years old, and was
beginning the world over again. A
year later was master of ship, and
was laying up money fast. l was so
bound up in my duties and loved the
sea so well that the idea of falling in
love with a woman never occurred to
me - till it happened. In fact, at
thirty-five knew nothing of women;
so you see l was just the man to fall an
easy prey to one of the worst of the
ha
beauty of twenty-five, and had three
husbands already in different parts of
the country. This, of course, 1 did
not learn till it was too late, and 1 be-
ieved her story, that she was the
widow of a bankrupt Boston merchant.
first met her when she came on board
my ship with party of visitors, to
look at it; l showed them all about,
explained every thing to them, and en-
tertained them in the cabin. She put
forth all her powers to fascinate me,
and she did it. Some of my friends
warned me, but it was no use; my
lead was completely turned. We were
married in two weeks from the day of
our first meeting. Before that, the
woman got me completely into her
clutches; 1 was merely the puppet that
she made dance. I bought house for
her in her own name. / handed over
all my money to her. In ten days
after our marriage my ship sailed for
Bombay. 1 ought to have become
suspicious at her refusal to go with
me; but where is the man deep in love
who is not blind as bat? 1t has al
ways been so since the days of Adam.
The next week after my departure she
sold the house, drew the money from
the bank, and ran away with another
man. / heard of her death some years
later.
This blow wounded me most cruelty,
for l was really attached to the worth
less woman l became kind of mis-
anthrope, but never lost my enthusiasm
for my ship and the sea. Long before
L owned and sailed my own vessel,
used to have an interest in the cargo,
and was always buying unusual freights
abroad, and selling them at home for a
large profit. So it happened that in my
-fortieth year was well to do again; in
fact, was far along toward the making
of another small fortune. If any man
had told me six months before it hap
pened that should ever marry another
woman, 1 should either have called him
a liar, or knocked him down-perhaps
both. 1t all happened in the most
natural way in the world. I'd first
mate, an elderly man and an excellent
seaman, to whom 1 was greatly at
tached. He had sailed with me several
years, and was always faithful and
true. I knew nothing about his family,
except that he had wife and daughter
in Provincetown. One day at Ran
COON he was trying to keep the peace
between two drunken seamen, when he
was severely stabbed by one of them.
He fingered a week in the hospital; l
would not sail without knowing his
fate, and was with him when he died.
"God bless you, Captain Willis" he
said, with his last breath. you've
been good friend to me; couldn't
have had better"
was melted to tears at sight Of the
good old sailor dying there in a strange
land.
my dear old shipmate," said, II
owe you more for your fidelity than l
have ever paid you. What do you
wish me to doP'
"Be good to those leave behind
me, sir"
l promised him that I would be-
friend his family, and he died con-
tented.
! Back at Provincetown, looked them |
up. The place where they lived has |
something to do with my story, and 1
will say few words about it.
If you go up from the harbor there,
well out of the town, back to slightly |
place that overlooks the whole bay, and |
gives you glimpses of sails ten miles
out at sea, you will find large. ram
bling old frame house, two stories
high, standing broadside to the har-
Dor. You could not well miss it; there
is no other like it in the town, and
every body knows it. In the old colo
NAL days, more than a hundred years
ago, a retired sea-captain built it and
lived in it for twenty years; since
which time it has seen all kinds OF VI
and been inhabited by doz-
ems of families. 1t was stoutly framed
and well built, after the fashion of our
fathers, or it could not have endured
the uses that it has been put to. and
had two timbers of it left. As it was